The 64th General Assembly of the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) was officially inaugurated on Monday in Madrid with a unanimous call in defense of press freedom and against violations of the related rights in some countries. 

At the opening ceremony, King Juan Carlos I of Spain said that governments "must ensure that the media can play their role in conditions of full freedom." At the same time, he asked "accuracy and fairness" to the "professionals of information," AFP reported.  

King Juan Carlos I described freedom of expression as "a fundamental human right and one of the greatest achievements of democratic societies." In his view, freedom of speech "has cost and still costs huge sacrifices and many victims in different regions of the planet," referring to the journalists who have been harassed or murdered while doing their job. 

King Juan Carlos I highlighted the work of the IAPA in "fighting and preventing the crimes committed against journalists, for the mere fact of being members of that profession, which may go unpunished."  

The king mentioned Internet and the revolution it has spread thanks to the interconnection of all the mankind. He advocated "reciprocity agreements that may multiply the exchange of ideas, projects and suggestions from people and companies, on equal grounds."  

Related rights

Meanwhile, the outgoing president of IAPA, Earl Maucker, said that "our task is to give citizens access to the right to knowledge." This task is facing a "serious enemy," including "violence and crime and the enemy hidden behind censorship."

The problem of violence against journalists has been one of the main topics dealt with at the seminars and roundtables held from Friday as part of the 64th Assembly of the IAPA. 

Translated by Gerardo Cárdenas